My name is Nikki, and I’m the photographer behind Through the Smoke Project, a documentary photography project based in Central Pennsylvania.

The fire service has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’m a fourth-generation fire service family member and currently serve as Secretary and photographer for Union Fire Company No. 1 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. My parents both served with the same department, and today, my boyfriend and his son are members as well.

The fire service isn’t just something I’m connected to. It’s something I grew up around, and it has become woven into nearly every part of my life.

I’m not a firefighter. I don’t claim to know what it’s like to crawl down a hallway searching for a victim or stretch a line into a burning building. But I do know this community. I understand the commitment, the traditions, the friendships, and the many hours that happen behind the scenes. More importantly, I care deeply about the people who give their time to do this work.

That’s where Through the Smoke Project began.

I wanted to document the fire service story as something bigger than the emergency itself. Some of the most meaningful moments happen during training nights, around the station, after difficult calls, and in the time spent simply being together. There are friendships and traditions that develop over years, sacrifices that most people never see, and countless ordinary moments that are part of what makes this community special.

I also want these photographs to be something for the firefighters themselves.

They spend countless hours training, responding, serving their communities, and being there for people on some of their worst days. I love being able to give them photographs of themselves doing something they’re proud of. Whether it’s a firefighter working at a fire, a crew training together, or a quiet moment at the station, these are pieces of their lives that are worth having and remembering.

Through the Smoke is about awareness, but it’s also about appreciation. It’s about documenting the people behind the helmets and giving them something back in return.

I’m still learning and growing as a photographer, but I hope to approach every department and every person I photograph with honesty and respect. Being part of this community gives me a perspective that I don’t take for granted, and I’m incredibly grateful to the people who trust me enough to let me document it.

For now, Through the Smoke is a passion project. I hope that, over time, it grows into something larger and becomes a meaningful collection of the people, places, traditions, and moments that make up the volunteer fire service in our communities.

Because the story doesn’t begin when the tones drop, and it doesn’t end when the trucks return.

There’s a whole lot of life in between.

And that’s the part I want to remember.